Closing the window on public media funding

A door has closed, but windows remain open.

Recently, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that it would discontinue operations in light of the termination of federal funding for public broadcasting. This is not a surprise given that the CPB’s primary purpose is to be the “steward” of federal funding for local public broadcasting radio and television stations (smaller amounts also have gone to the national NPR and PBS organizations).

One might think that ending federal funding would mark the end of the government funding story, but several states fund local NPR- and PBS-affiliated stations. These states include Kentucky, South Dakota and Oklahoma. New York state recently announced that it would be increasing state funding.

While state funding is less than the discontinued $535 million federal appropriation and some states may reduce or cease funding in upcoming budgets, as Indiana recently did, government will continue to fund media in the United States.

As a matter of principle, no government at any level should be funding media. This is not one of the governmental functions needed for the well-being of the country. State funding should be wound down over a reasonable period, and this window should ultimately close.

Beyond principle, the Public Broadcasting Act, which created the CPB and led to NPR and PBS, was passed in 1967. Any case for government funding has long since faded as sources for news and information have proliferated.

But there’s also a window of opportunity. It’s time for the marketplace, rather than government funding, to determine whether local NPR and PBS affiliates succeed or fail. Without government funding providing a financial cushion, the NPR and PBS affiliates will need to embrace entrepreneurialism and nimbly respond to audience-driven tastes and demands.

As I observed in an earlier blog, a change of law is also needed. Section 399b of the Communications Act forbids NPR and PBS affiliates from running commercial advertising. They are permitted to air acknowledgements (e.g., “American Experience is brought to you by the Ford Motor Company”) but not actual ads. The law should be changed to allow NPR and PBS affiliates to carry commercial advertising to earn and diversify revenue as a part of their new funding reality.

If there is a market for NPR’s and PBS’s programming, their affiliates should be able to attract commercial advertising, raise revenue and succeed. Both NPR and PBS have a history of award-winning programming and well-established brands and audiences, so they enter this window with assets a new media startup would envy.

But if there is an insufficient market, they will need to adjust their programming or do whatever is needed to succeed, just as commercial radio, television and other platforms do. Their success or failure will depend on their marketplace performance and ability to earn revenue.

The call letters for the Chicago PBS affiliate WTTW stand for “window to the world.” Public media’s window now looks to a new world, one where success will be determined by the market rather than government support. It’s up to them to keep this window open.